Alyssa Novak I: We are but Puppets of a Greater Cause
by katherinekitkat13
Summary: The greater the puppeteer, the better the puppet, more so the show. Alyssa Novak had no purpose, but to sit still, look pretty and prepare for her one defining moment as her father's bargaining chip. Neglected, she slips within her brother's manipulative hands yet through his own actions, Alyssa grows into something none of them expected, something they don't know how to control.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Dolls sit still and stay pretty

"There, all pretty and dolled up, look at her Anton, isn't she beautiful" Marzia brushed Alyssa's dress clear of any of it's non existent imperfections.

"She should be, if that's all she's going to be good for" Anton didn't even pause to appreciate his daughter as he passed by the dinning hall of their large home.

"Oh my little girl, you're going to be a beautiful bride some day, now say ah" Marzia hand fed her daughter, as she did every single morning, her breakfast, luxurious and organic to make sure her daughter stays fit and healthy. Alyssa was born weak and frail and little, and even now at four years old, she was smaller than kids her age, prompting her mother to dote and fuss over her, as much as she could when she is not in her church devoting her life to the Walls. Her father on the other hand, Anton was a member of the King's Assembly, he had no tolerance for anything that would not benefit him, a supremist to the core, for him Alyssa was nothing but a nuisance that will only be of use to him once, a marriage betrothal bargaining chip, an advantage he is not much of use as of yet.

A father who did not recognize her existence and a mother who was overprotective of her, it did not bother the young child as much, as she had her books to turn to, the Novak's extensive library kept the young child busy and entertained. Andre Novak, her older brother by almost nine years, on the other hand, was a different story, and unlike the rest of her family, he poured all his attention towards her.

As soon as the door shut and their parents off and away to their own devices, Andre' would hunt Alyssa like a hungry wolf after a long winter, when she was an infant, Andre would pinch her cheek feigning cuteness until her vulnerable self cried in pain, as she grew older the tactics ranged from pinching her to tripping her to accidentally pushing her off her feet, until one day it began to get darker. The first time it happened, Alyssa had been carrying a doll, a favorite among the hundreds her mother had given her, because this doll was made in the image of her porcelain face on top of a soft doll, long platinum blonde hair just like hers, and what's made it even more special is that her mother instructed the maids to change it every time she gets changed, so the doll looked exactly like her, always in pristine condition, her doll served as some sort of comfort for Alyssa and she had taken to carrying the doll everywhere with her, eating, bathing, walking, to church and teaching the doll everything she learns at the library.

That day Alyssa was in the library reading another 'picture book' she had gotten her hands on as she told her nanny when she cleaned up after her afternoon snacks. Sure it was a book filled with pictures but it was actually a Visual Dictionary, something a learned adult would read, yet she a young girl, barely even five had taken to learning these words and was about to finish the whole edition, and felt sorry that to her family, she will only be the little fragile sick child. As the nanny was leaving, in came Andre smirking at his little sister, asking what she was doing and if she wanted to play with him, and of course, little Alyssa as content as she might, she was happy to receive the attention, naive little girl had been oblivious to the tactical accidents her brother has put her through, yet he has never seen Andre go beyond bruises so she thought leaving Alyssa with her brother to put away the dirty tray for a few moments alright.

A high pitched screech slashed the thick quiet air of the mansion, electrocuting every nerve in her body, jolting her senses horrified her out of her skin to the point wherein she dropped the tray of Alyssa's used utensils and china and began running back to the library, each step pounded in her ears like thunder, to the sharp lightning of Alyssa's screams. By the time she made it back to the library, she was almost sure to find a pool of red, but in place of red, the floor was littered with white, platinum to be exact and in the midst of her long tresses, there lay what remained of the little Alyssa doll.

It was a bitter relief; relieved that Andre had not killed Alyssa, yet the bitter taste in her mouth meant that Andre hadn't planned on killing her, no he made an example of what he wanted to do to her with the doll. Andre wanted to break her spirit, mind and heart, and he started with the long locks Alyssa loved so much.

"What have you done" Mildred the nanny barely panted out.

"Huh, I didn't do anything" Andre's sadistic gaze slowly turned to her, his blood curdling eyes staring right back at her and for the first time she wondered how an identical set of eyes can make the endearing kind look and the ghastly cynical look.

"Those were your shears nanny Mildred, and I'm sure mother would not take the crime lightly" Andre told her as he left as quietly as he arrived, and there she realized just how in control Andre was of the room, like she was held against her will and she did not even know it.

"Poor doll, your hair" Mildred summoned her strength back from the depths and catered to the little girl, her favorite doll smashed, her hair shredded the little girl was in tears, picking up her shears that was stabbed on the open visual dictionary, that Alyssa was reading, she began to cut Alyssa's hair into the only cut it can look decent in, a short bob, the tips of her hair barely teasing her jaw and a full bang. Mildred picked up the lace that was once tied to her dolls waist and tied it on her hair forming a ribbon on top of Alyssa's head.

"There, pretty as ever" by the time Mildred had finished, Alyssa's incessant crying has dialed down into a few sniffles here and there, Alyssa's warm eyes stared at her reflection in wonder before looking up at her nanny.

"Nanny, don't you have a family?" Alyssa asked confusing Mildred.

"Yes, I do, they live all the way in a little village within Wall Rose, little doll" Mildred answered beginning to clean up the hairy mess.

"Do you miss them?" Alyssa continued.

"Every day little doll every day, but you know what, seeing you smile every day makes me very happy" Mildred cheered, as much as she missed her family, it was heartbreaking for a little girl like Alyssa to wander around the mansion's hallowed halls, a hidden gem left alone and forgotten to collect dust in the corner.

"You make me happy too Nanny Mildred" Mildred's eyes widened, she had been with Alyssa since the day she was born, yet this is the first time she had ever seen the child smile that bright and big.

Later during the family dinner, the horrified screech of her mother was enough to compare to an angered hawk.

"Who cut your hair?" Marzia Novak shed tears as she held on the tips of her daughters hair, but before she can tell her mother what happened, Andre walked in and as if a snake, he extended his tail on both Mildred and Alyssa, frightening them, daring them to speak up.

"It was Mildred, I saw her with her shears today, cutting Alyssa's hair in the library" Andre told Marzia of his version of truth.

"You did this to her, to my little baby!" Marzia almost unleashed her crazed wrath on the innocent nanny when Alyssa pulled at her mother's dress.

"Mommy, it was me, I asked her to cut my hair, cause- because I think they will get in the way of my lessons" and just like that her mother turned another 180 degrees.

"Lessons, you want to start your lessons? Baby doll that is amazing, you hear that Anton our little girl is ready to take on a governess,"

"Good" Anton answered nonchalantly.

"Ooohhh, isn't this exciting Alyssa, your governess will teach you reading, speaking, music and art, maybe we can get you a tutor on dance and horse riding as well, you are going to grow into a beautiful woman my little doll" Marzia went on and on and on but Alyssa's focus was on her brother, who was looking at her, eyes not even bothering to hide the malice in them, and to Mildred, it was even scarier that in his eyes she did not so anger that Alyssa had spoiled his plans, looking at him felt like watching a predator, a predator who didn't mind the long arduous chase. Her gaze fell on the object of Andre's attention, Alyssa on the other hand, was actually looking at her, a serene kind look on the girls face.

Turns out, that was the last time Mildred will ever see those eyes again as the next few days she was transferred to a shop owned by Novak, very near her home within her village. Every day she was thankful for what Alyssa did for her, the pay as a shopkeeper was lower compared to being her nanny, but Alyssa gave her an opportunity to be with her family everyday, to watch her children grow, and to be able to hold her husband at night, yet even in her bliss she couldn't help it, that every now and then she would wonder what became of the little Novak doll.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A hand Puppet Moves at the Sleight of Hand

That night, what nanny Mildred did not know the night he was preparing to leave to return to her village, Andre had talked to their parents about Alyssa's safety, and whilst Marzia had suggested to simply add more guards and confine Alyssa even more, Andre had another thing in mind, and he only need use the phrase 'it will make her stronger' to have his father agree, and when Anton has made a decision there was very little else that Marzia can do.

So the following day, before the break of dawn, as Alyssa was sleeping soundly, hours before her scheduled waking hour, Andre banged open her bedroom door and if that didn't wake up the little girl, the bucket of ice cold water poured over her surely did. In an instant Alyssa was struggling to gasp for air, her lungs hurting as the crisp cold air filled her senses.

"Wakey wakey little doll, look at the time, very early isn't it, from now on this is the hour you'll be waking up on, unless you want another ice cold bath, now dress up I want you in the courtyard in ten minutes or else I'll have the dogs drag you there" Andre greeted her cheerfully holding a small whipping stick he had especially bought for this opportunity.

"Remember the courtyard in ten minutes or there will be consequences" Andre mouthed the words almost as if he was singing it with joy. Alyssa had to wait for a few moments so her nerves can settle, either from the cold ice bath or the much colder eyes of her brother, her young mind will never know. What she did know was taking the few moments to calm her nerves was something she would regret.

"Thirty seven seconds, late on your first day of training Alyssa, such a bad habit, one you will pay for very dearly" Andre placed his pocket watch back in his vest, he was keeping track of every second that past the moment he slammed the door shut.

"But it was only a few seconds" Alyssa reasoned her small voice sounding smaller than usual, probably from fear or that her lungs was still aching.

"Rule number one: No talking back" Andre was quick with his whip and hit Alyssa on the back of her thighs, meticulously avoiding areas that will be visible, made easier by the fact that their conservative mother dressed every inch of her skin, he only had to avoid her hands and pretty little face.

"My word is law, and you better remember that, now I want you to run around the courtyard and you're only allowed to stop when you can't run anymore, and you can't run anymore when you...pass out" Andre held her face in one hand, fingers holding her cheeks, his palm covering her mouth entirely, not hard enough to bruise, just enough to get the point across, and that point is fear.

Legs shaking, one foot in front of the other, slowly, Alyssa began the longest ran she had her entire life; yet compared to the ones she will be having in the future, that run was the shortest. Frightened out of her wits, she ran, and ran and ran, her heart pounding in her ears, her lungs strangling her from within and her eyes slowly blurring until all she saw was black and and heard a finite thud.

The next thing that happened is she was being shaken awake, she opened her eyes and before her were a new pair of eyes she had never seen before. Then she remembered, she had nanny Mildred sent to work in a shop that's in her village, this new woman was probably her governess.

"Right on time, good, but tomorrow, you will have to learn to wake yourself like a proper lady, now stand up, we have a long day ahead of us" Helga, the new governess began ordering everyone in the room, including Alyssa. On the other hand, Alyssa was too confused to resist the maids passing her around to prepare for the day, not that she would, but that morning she was extra doll like. Did the incident with her brother really happened, or was it just a dream, or a nightmare concocted by the traumatic incident of the day before.

"My lady, what happened to you!" a maid gasped at the sight of Alyssa's naked behind; there lay an angry red streak on the back of her thigh.

"Let me see" Helga moved stoically behind Alyssa the little girl folding in fear as her cane thumped beside her, in retrospect that was the first sign.

"Does it hurt child?" Helga touched red mark, and though Alyssa flinched she shook her head no, tears already brimming at the edge of her lashes.

"Oh poor doll, nanny Mildred must have placed your garters too tight yesterday" the maid continued dressing her up, but Helga continued observing the girl, her eyes focusing on every single reaction the child has, to the untrained eye, those marks can be mistaken for putting on a garter too tight, but a garter circulates around the thighs, if it was too tight, the red marks could have circulated around her thighs, yet this look like on straight segment, what caused it was definitely straight and continues from one leg to the other.

"Double time ladies, we have already lost too much time, the lord and lady of the household are waiting to see their daughter before her lesson starts." Helga thumped her can twice on the ground, causing to Alyssa to flinch, twice.

"Alyssa there you are, look at you, my practically a lady" Marzia coddled her daughter and motioned to carry her to sit beside her like always, but Helga cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry madame, from today on, Alyssa will be sitting next to her brother as it is appropriate" Helga pulled out the chair next to Andre, and she watched as Alyssa painstakingly slowly walked her way towards the said seat.

"Don't worry, little doll, I'll make sure you're properly fed" Andre then stabbed his fork, unnecessarily hard on the yolk of his eggs, making it bleed.

"That won't be necessary young lord, from now on, Alyssa will be learning her course in proper dining etiquette" Helga picked up a for and handed it to Alyssa, who had never held a utensil, aside from the one from her tea set, was excited for this new journey, with enthusiastic hands, she began to shove her fork on her food, executing it in the least unflattering and most ïneffective manner.

"As I predicted we have a long way ahead of us, this is how you hold a utensil child watch" Helga demonstrated and watched as Alyssa focused on her every movement, and when Helga handed the utensil to Alyssa, it felt like her earlier scuffle with her breakfast never happened.

"Oh look Anton, Alyssa had her first bite all by herself, my perfect little doll" Marzia amazed at her daughter despite the fact that she was merely ignored by her husband, just as he ignored everything that transpired before them.

"That reminds me, madame there is a bright red streak across the young mistress' thighs, I thought you should know of it" Helga was the least bit surprised to find that the only reaction she would receive from the table is from the mother the brother and the daughter, but what piqued her interest was the brother's reaction, he wasn't worried or scared, he was amused, and was staring at his little sister, head resting on his palms, as the little girl continued to control her shiver.

"Is this true my little doll?" Marzia stood up and quickly went to her daughter's side.

"The maids suspect that her nanny had put on her garter too tight yesterday" Helga provided.

"That which I knew I should have punished her, were you scared of her all along baby doll, that's why you wanted her gone did you" Marzia held her tiny cheeks in her palms and fussed.

"No mommy, it's actually-" before Alyssa could continue, the cup in Andre's hand conveniently shattered, making Alyssa squeak and fold even more into herself.

"Andre! Where are your manners!" Marzia scolded, and Andre whose hand was bleeding from the shards embedded into his palms was merely shrugging.

"Ooops, I guess my grip was a little too strong, better be careful with my hands from now on, who knows what I might be able to do" Andre pushed back his chair and rested his clean hand on Alyssa's back for a moment too long before kissing the top of her head.

"See you later little doll" Andre left to get his hand bandaged by the family doctor, Helga watched with keen eyes, it was an interesting and at the same time frightening encounter, especially for Alyssa.

"Such a caring little boy, now what really happened my doll?"

"It was me, it went loose so I had to tighten it in the middle of the day, nanny Mildred didn't want to hurt me that's why it was too loose" Alyssa pleaded with Marzia, and right there, everything made sense to Helga.

Later after breakfast and saying goodbye to her parents, Helga took Alyssa to the library, but the little girl stopped exactly before stepping a foot inside the vast room.

"What is wrong child?"

"It's nothing" Alyssa answered almost automatically, but her eyes held a painful reluctance in them as her hand unconsciously touched the tips of her short bob.

"There is nothing to be afraid of child" Helga held out her hands and Alyssa's wide eyes went wider at the held out hand.

"Well go on child, take my hand, we're wasting time lingering" Helga urged Alyssa who reached out her small hand and wrapped her tiny hand on two of Helga's fingers, and as she sat Alyssa down on her chair behind her desk, Alyssa did not let go of her and even as she let go, the traces of reluctance resounded on her fingertips.

"Now, I'll be laying down our daily schedule; so as to avoid unnecessary instructions in the morning. Let's begin, in the morning, you will wake up at seven in the morning, bathe and get ready by eight thirty, and join the lords and the lady for breakfast, immediately followed by your etiquette lessons followed by your horseback riding with your brother until such time you are taken back inside the manor to eat your lunch, then afternoon instruction will proceed as follows; music lessons followed by your dance instruction, afternoon tea followed by cultural studies and sciences you will have supper with the rest of your noble family and after that it's straight to bed. This time table will be followed to the letter with the exception of course of your mother taking you to church once a week. Do make myself clear?" Helga outlined Alyssa's entire week for her, and for a moment Alyssa was expecting for her to thump her cane on the floors once again, but she didn't.

"Yes, governess"

The day went on exactly as Helga had laid it out, not even her first days was an exception, but Alyssa was more than thankful. It kept her busy and occupied, yet the hawk like eyes of her governess never missed the fact that her hands kept reaching for something to twirl between her fingers, only to be met by thin air, yet the child behaved seamlessly, it was no question why she was called the little Novak doll. By the end of the day, this sudden change of Alyssa's regime took a toll on her body, so she fell asleep as she finished the last sentence of her studies.

Helga nodded for the maids to gently give her a sponge bath, dress her and put her to bed, and went out of her way to inform the rest of the Novaks of Alyssa's plight.

"Governess, good evening, how is our little doll doing?" Marzia asked putting down the spoon back in her soup. _Doll_ that's what they called Alyssa, how they _treated _her. 

"Exceptional my lady, but also tired, it seems they the sudden extreme change in her regime has taken a toll on her so I opted to have her put to bed straight away" Helga explained the absence of Alyssa's plate from the table, not that the head of the family even noticed.

"Poor little doll, was it too early to start her lesson?" Marzia fussed, once again.

"Alyssa is at the perfect age my lady, no need to worry," Helga bowed and left, not missing the look of disappointment from Andre's eyes.

That night, Alyssa woke up from her slumber, with an awful hollow pain in her stomach, she turned to her clock, _1:03 _it pointed, she had missed dinner. Famished but determined not to bother anyone, she left her room and began her journey to the servant's kitchen. Mildred told her that if she was ever hungry she need only to come to the servant's kitchen and take from the baskets of fruit and bread on the table, yet as she left hungry eyes had already locked on her.

"Where are you going little girl" menace struck straight to Alyssa's heart and as if the inflector had an effect on the damage he inflicted, the angry lash on Alyssa's thighs started to throb, her lungs tightened as she stood frozen afraid to turn around.

"Don't worry, your hungry aren't you, come one, I'll take you to the kitchen there's probably some food there" Andre walked towards Alyssa and outstretched his hands. Still afraid, yet she thought he was just going to feed her right? Her big brother was only worried about her right? There was no other reason why he was lurking outside her room...right? That's why against her fears, she held onto Andre's hands and followed wherever he lead her to, the direction he took should have been a dead giveaway.

Instead of the servant's kitchen, Andre took Alyssa to their family's kitchen, a much bigger, more elaborate and definitely more luxurious, it was the first time Alyssa saw their personal kitchen and she couldn't help it and amaze about the sheer wonder of it.

"Come on, you're probably starving" Andre put a plate of bread, jerky and fruit on the table, sitting next to it. Alyssa climbed the chair with more than a little difficulty and began eating. The food was hard to chew and coarse, nothing like the food they serve at their table, but food was still food and Alyssa was thankful as long as it fed her.

"That's jerky and bread, that's what we usually take with us when we go out riding" Andre explained.

"That's a good doll, see how easy it is, to be a good little doll" Andre's voice reeled from the warmth of his earlier tone, bringing an all freezing low, and the kitchen with it.

"Your big brother will treat you nicely, as long as you're a good, you understand that right, Alyssa?" Andre rested his hand on the back of Alyssa's neck, no pressure, no harshness, yet Alyssa's throat felt tighter than the choker her mother always made her wear.

"Yes, big brother" Alyssa answered.

"Good, unfortunately you did a very bad thing earlier, and that cost me dearly, I'm afraid it's going to cost you too" Andre showed his bandaged hand to Alyssa, his fingers gripping hard on his palm, making the fresh wound bleed, drenching the bandages. Shaking, Alyssa tried to back away, but Andre had already taken hold of her and carried her to their father's cellar, just below the kitchen.

"No big brother please I'll be good, Alyssa will be good I promise please" Deep and dark, the dread of what could happen there flooded Alyssa's senses.

"I'm sorry little doll, but bad behaviour needs punishment, I have to make sure that you'll be a good little girl," Andre placed a sobbing Alyssa in the middle of the cellar and shut the door behind him, In the dark.

"No please, I'll be good please, don't leave Alyssa here... PLEASE" Andre smirked sitting down, listening to the hysteric sobs and pleads of Alyssa like her mother listens to the piano, he took out his pocket watch and began counting the seconds...Of how long Alyssa will beg him.

_Fifteen Minutes and Thirty Seven Seconds _Andre read when the last of Alyssa's whimpers were released. To be careful he completed the whole twenty minutes before opening the door to the cellar. There, in the nearest corner where he left her, Alyssa lay ground first on the ground, passed out. He would have preferred to leave her overnight, after counting the length of her cries, but several circumstances spoil her plan, the biggest being that new governess who is keeping her on a tight schedule, but primarily he needs to be wary of her sickness, one fatal flaw and it will cause him his favorite toy, he needed to be careful. Andre picked up Alyssa's frail body, her face and clothes damp from the cellar and her own tears, then he walked her back to her bed.

"I'll be good please big brother" Alyssa whimpered in her sleep.

"Don't worry little thing, I have a special morning planned out for you tomorrow and for the rest of your mornings" Andre whispered as he tucked Alyssa in her bed. Chuckling all the way back to his room.

In order to efficiently make use of time, Helga seized every opportunity for Alyssa to learn, and that means lecturing her of her morning habits as soon as she goes through her morning routine. At six thirty she along with a small army of maids had lined up at her bedside, thirty minutes before her wake up call to leave room for error as the child did just begin her training the day prior.

"Lady Alyssa, you must wake up" Helga had not anticipated they manner in which Alyssa would wake up, only a touch of her hand on her shoulder sent the girl bolting upright, the fright in her eyes cracking the image of her little porcelain doll image, her clothes, in a much dirtier state then when she was put to bed. Alyssa took a few moments to look around and take in the brightness of the sun spilling within her room.

"What is wrong with you child" Helga asked turning the girl to look her way.

"Nothing governess" like a docile lamb, Alyssa slid down her bed and surrendered herself to her little army of maids until she was practically swept to the dinning hall to eat with her family.

"Good morning everyone, Good morning dear sweet doll" Andre greeted, Alyssa visibly froze when Andre pressed a kiss on top of her head before sitting comfortably next to her.

"Tardiness is very unlike you Andre what kept you late?" Marzia asked her oldest.

"Well, I was up all night worrying mother, it was apparent that a child from within Wall Sina was abducted and taken to the underground, the family are still waiting for a demand for ransom, but the military police say not to keep their hopes up as the child may well be dead, body parts sold to the market there"

"Poor child, oh blessed walls, what are we going to do, what if something happens Alyssa, we should probably hire more guards" _Hook, Line and Sinker_ Andre can barely hold back his smirk as his mother fell obliviously in his web of lies.

"That might be counterproductive mother as the child that was abducted was last seen within their family's manpower, same person has yet to be found to this day" Andre added.

"What are we going to do Anton, Alyssa may very well be in danger as of now" Marzia began to panic, hands fanning herself.

"Not to worry mother, as her older brother I believe it is my duty to teach Alyssa how to protect herself"

"Perfect, but with all Alyssa's lesson, I don't think there will be much time" Marzia practically laid the carpet for Andre to walk on.

"Oh that won't be a problem mother, I believe I can make do with the time I have with her during her horseback riding instruction, trust me mother, it will be more than enough"

In her chair, Alyssa shivered in her seat, she was visibly comforting herself to stop shaking, thinking of the night before and what horrors her brother was still capable of...


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Shadows are only as Scary as You are

And what horrors it was, what Alyssa went through everyday in the mere two to three hours that her brother had total control over her was enough to mold her into obedience, Andre had tied Alyssa's entirety in his web of deceit, fear and control, moving, controlling Alyssa as he deems fit, she was completely at his mercy, yet Helga found herself powerless to save the little girl as the harsh regime Andre put Alyssa in exhibited results, and that's the only thing that mattered to their father. During her horseback training, Andre picked the most hostile horse for Alyssa, and not only did she manage to ride the beast, she became an excellent equestrian. Andre not only taught Alyssa how to work her way with various types of gun, but he also made sure that she knew when she would use it as he made her hunt game while he pressed a revolver at her temple, playing a game of russian roulette if she ever missed her target. And he made sure to teach Alyssa how to fight by demonstrating each move...on her.

Yet as he continued to get more severe and even more frequent, the more evident Alyssa's strength shone, the child never lost her kindness and compassion, she didn't tame the horse she rode, she loved the anger out of it, giving it the love it was deprived of as it was sold from its mother at a very young age, Windbreaker was the name she had given the horse. The animals she shot, she made sure to miss anything vital so she can come back and heal them, hiding them away behind Windbreaker's stall, a place even Andre is afraid to approach, and the blows she withstood from her brother, made her stronger, with each passing day, and it's beginning to dawn to Andre, that he wasn't close to breaking her just yet.

The eve before Andre was about to be sent to enroll at the Cadet Corp, he orchestrated the entire day off for Helga so he can take Alyssa on a field trip, around the market.

"Hey Alyssa, do you want to see something cool" not waiting for an answer Andre dragged Alyssa through the market and to a staircase, but the journey did not stop there, this was probably the longest stairs she had taken that headed beneath the ground, yet even in her innate apprehension against her brother by now, she couldn't help but wonder what is at the bottom of the staircase.

And what's on the end was nothing short of wonderment, this was the Underground City, the so called cesspool of bandits and do no gooders as her mother often ranted about, it was one thing to hear and read about it in books, nothing beats the real thing, not even its bad reputation.

"Well it's time to see how far you've gotten with your training" Andre stopped their in their trail and turned to hand Alyssa a fully loaded revolver and a tactical knife, dumbfounded, confused yet still afraid to question her brother's authority over her, Alyssa accepted the items without a single word.

"I'll be back for you, whatever you do don't leave this spot" Andre instructed, holding in his laughter until he was far enough for Alyssa to hear nor see. He made sure his mother dressed Alyssa in her best for this very purpose, baiting her dead center in the heart of the most malicious place within the walls, she practically looked like a gift wrapped lottery price down there, standing vulnerable in the crowd, looking nothing more than a doll with a toy gun.

"Let's see you try to withstand that, my I'm almost sad that I won't be able to see how this ends" Andre muttered to himself as he walked up the stairs towards the surface simultaneously lighting a cigarette.

Alyssa hid the items beneath the layers of her dress, the stares of the people around her making her mind reel in back to the past to the last time she felt this scared of what can happen to her. Her mind took her two years ago, back to the first time Andre had carried her in their father's cellar in the dead of the night and locked her in, alone in the dark. The longer Alyssa stood there, the more she realized that Andre was never going back for her, and the longer she stayed there, the more she succumbed to her fears, and the more people noticed that something was wrong. Willing herself to move, she took calculated, slow but sure steps, putting equal effort into moving forward just as it was hard for her to run in a fast and erratic pace

'_Calm down, think and calm down' _Alyssa chanted, trying to keep her breathing in control, looking for a corner she can hide in, recount her steps and formulate a way to get back to the surface and home. Finally founding her small space of solace, hugging her knees to her chest. She didn't know the area, so finding her way back was out of the question, it would be stupid of her to run around and unknown place known for making children disappear in its grasp, her best bet is to wait patiently for a military police to pass by and ask to be escorted to the surface to her home, surely her mother would have noticed she was gone. Little did she know, as she was thinking it, Andre had approached his parents and asked to celebrate his last night home and that he has tucked Alyssa in her bed, tired from their day of field trip specifically ordering the maids to not enter her room and disturb her rest, it would take the entire night and more so after for Helga to arrive back in the following day to notice that the little Novak doll is missing.

Hiding in the shadows between two buildings, Alyssa waited again for an extended period of time, waiting for an officer, yet none in the hours that she had been tucked away had passed, then it hit her, maybe she had hidden herself too well, what if they were looking for her and could not find her because she was so well hidden, should she present herself more openly? What did the cook make for dinner? Surprised by her own thoughts, it was only then that Alyssa realized that the last she had eaten was during breakfast with her family, and with no way to tell time, she probably already missed a meal or two, growing dizzy and weak, she was both hungry and thirsty.

Her father is both a merchant and a nobleman and if there was something that she learned from their livelihood is that everything comes with a price, whether it be money or something of value, it is the trade of life, the way of life, and since she has no money, she needed something she can trade for food, and she was riddled with fine items her mother hand picked, removing her choker, Alyssa held them in her hand slowly emerging from her hiding to look for something to eat and drink.

Standing before the food stall, there wasn't much to pick from, but there are some food she recognized several that nanny Mildred had taught her whenever she would be taken to the servant's kitchen.

"If you're going to buy something buy it, otherwise scram" the snarky shopkeeper sneered at her, without a doubt ready to scare her away if she had no good business to give her.

"Um, I don't have money, but can I buy have that bread and water for this instead" Alyssa muttered, and held out her elaborately stitched lace choker with a sapphire pendant encrusted within an ornately designed solid gold. The shopkeeper's eyes glinted, it was worth more than her entire stall, probably even enough to buy her a citizenship to the surface, the child didn't know it but it was something she would take advantage of, giving the child the biggest bread and water bag, she sent little Alyssa off her merry way and closed up shop, she's got some packing to do.

Alyssa then slipped back into her very small alleyway and began to plow into her bread.

"Don't just inhale that shit" a foreign voice made Alyssa jump out of her skin realizing that then and there her hiding place wasn't just hers anymore. A little boy no bigger than her sat slumped on the wall not far from her. Looking at his physique, he looked to be her age, yet his voice, the manner in which he spoke, even the scrunched up expression of him seem to tell Alyssa that he was older than her.

"Your food, eat it slowly or else you're going to end up regretting it, trust me I've been there" Levi advised her, a little less rough this time, still a couple miles to go from being gentle. Alyssa kept staring at him before looking back to her bread. He was so small, yet he was older than her, he was the smallest boy Alyssa had seen in her life, boys close her age back in Mitras were pretty chubby cheeks protruding from their faces, yet the boy before her, his cheeks were shallow, making his face look old and tired. Thinking about every meal she had before, every meal she didn't finish, Alyssa lost her appetite and offered her bread to the boy with her.

"Tsk, I don't need your food nor your pity" Levi frowned.

"I don't want it, I, - I ate this morning" Alyssa blushed, her stomach growling, body betraying her. Blushing hard, she shoved the bread onto Levi's lap and turned the opposite way, hoping that this will negate a possible inquiry of her embarrassment. Levi looked at the girl, obviously not from the underground, one because of how she is dressed and two because no one would give anything in there without a price, yet even in her own hunger, she had given him her entire bread.

"I'm not a fatso, I won't be able to finish all of it" Levi threw half of the bread at her, Alyssa stared at Levi, waiting for him to look at her, but when he finished the last of his bread and didn't look at her, Alyssa decided to begin eating and not let the bread go to waste.

"How'd you get lost here?" Levi finally asked his obvious question after Alyssa had her fill of food.

"How'd you know I'm not from around here?" Alyssa asked in between gulps of water then offering it to Levi.

"You stick out like a sore thumb" Levi deadpanned, but Alyssa's wide pale green eyes simply stared back at him, the expression completely lost on her.

"No one down there could afford anything you're wearing, but more obviously is your skin, it's not pale nor do you look sickly" Levi pinched her cheek a little before turning his attention back on the streets.

"My brother, he-he brought me here, and he left, I think he was trying to teach me a lesson" Levi turned back to Alyssa, and instead of hurt or fear, the girl simply just smiled, a creepy smile that didn't reach her eyes, she looked like a doll.

"Seems a little far fetched for a lesson"

"I think he's doing it so I get better, they say I was a sickly child and Andre says that he's doing it because it's what's best for me, and if I get better then maybe everybody would stop calling me a doll" Alyssa said, Levi quickly patted her head before hitting her.

"Stupid," was all Levi said before looking back to the streets. There were already men roaming around the streets probably looking for her, and the chances of bumping into a military police in the area are slim to none. If this girl has any chance of survival, they were going to have to do it the hard way.

"Let's go" Levi stood walking towards the other end of their alleyway and when Levi felt like Alyssa wasn't following he glared at her making her chill, yet the softness of his intentions wasn't lost on Alyssa, skipping towards him.

Levi lead her through the alleyways and stairs and roads, all the while avoiding the eyes of the men already looking for her, no military police were rounding the streets yet, so at best whoever her family is, was not yet notified of her disappearance. Levi gritted his teeth and clenched his fist, he was going to slam his hand against the wall, but Alyssa had held on to him, looking at her, he realized she did not do this on purpose, she held onto him as she watched people crowd on the streets, bustling around, shoulder rubbing against each other.

"I've never seen so many people" Alyssa gasped, even the busiest market in Mitras was a pale comparison to what's in front of her. Levi took her hands in his and began to drag her in the crowd using people to disguise them, safely passing through the crowded market, in the crowd the air felt thinner, and Alyssa could feel her lungs beginning to struggle for air, but she held onto Levi tighter and pushed through.

"We'll stay here for the night" Levi declared, sitting near the window, in case something happened, they would not be stuck. Alyssa, sat next to him, hugging her knees to herself.

"You're not afraid of the dark now are you?"

"No, I used to be, but Andre taught me not to be scared of it anymore" Levi turned to look at Alyssa as she continued her story.

"He would lock me in our father's cellar at night until I stop screaming" Alyssa revealed, Levi clicked his tongue.

"Your, brother did he teach you a lot?" Levi asked.

"Yeah, he taught me all kinds of things," Alyssa paused not sure how to continue further, if she should continue, but Levi made her feel like no one ever did, he made her feel like she was there, living beside her an equal being, not a toy, not a pawn and definitely not a doll, she was human in his eyes.

"Keep a secret for me okay? My brother's lessons hurt, a lot, not just me but also the animals he makes me shoot, I don't want the lessons anymore, but ever since my father started looking at me"

"Looking at you?"

"Before he wouldn't even look at me," Alyssa nodded, Levi faced her studying her small frame.

"I don't want to take the lessons anymore, but I don't really know how to tell mommy" Alyssa began to sigh, falling asleep on her own.

Levi wasn't a heavy sleeper, yet nothing could have prepared him from being awakened by the sight of Alyssa's small frame lying on the floor, struggling to catch her breath clutching her chest, her dress already wide open.

"Hey, brat!" Levi was quick and careful to put her to sit, her hands held on to her, it was very cold, just like how her mother felt back in their little room.

"Damn it, what do you need"

"Ho-t- t-ea-too-co-cold" Alyssa gasped each syllable with difficulty, it was all Levi needed to hear and he bolted out the window, it didn't take him long to return with a canteen of hot tea, stolen from the nearest place he could find, urging himself faster, afraid to not make it in time to save the girl. _Afraid, _it was funny how afraid he was of losing a girl he'd only known for less than a day, a girl he didn't even know the name of.

By the time he returned, instead of a dead limp body, he returned to a smiling face, she was still struggling to breathe, but her pants were now manageable and even in her pain she mustered a thank you. Alyssa drank it the tea, and although it wasn't like any tea that she was used to, she was thankful for, but she needed to conserve tea and take only what she needs, she didn't want to impose more than she already has

"Alyssa, my name is Alyssa" she smiled offering a hand towards Levi, who glared at her and standing up to do a little curtsey, and for a moment Alyssa doubted her common decency, and thought she had been neglecting her lessons from her governess. On the other hand, Levi was internally asking himself why this obviously rich girl was treating an underground vermin like him with respect and kindness, one that befits a nobleman.

"Levi" Levi reached for her hands and held her in her own, maneuvering from his seated position to kneel on one to Alyssa's small soft and dainty hands, Levi enveloped hers, his hands were rough and hard, weathered by the harshness of life underground, the contrast continued her skin was warm and lively, seemingly out of place in his cold and pale ones, yet still his cold hands were the warmest Alyssa had ever touched.

"Your hands!" Alyssa gasped, his knuckles were dirty and bleeding, sitting down, Alyssa lifts her skirt to take out her knife and destroyed her dress, tearing the ends of her skirt to for a makeshift bandage. Taking Levi's hands, she poured the tea very gently on his wounds and wrapped them around with her bandages.

"You shouldn't have done that, your dress is ruined now" Levi berated, but Alyssa only smiled taking her knife to level her skirts.

"Here, it'll probably be more useful to you than it is to me" Alyssa handed her the knife. There little moment was destroyed when a bunch of men broke down the door and began rushing inside their hideout in the fits of disarray and discord. Levi quick on his feet, taking hold of the knife on one hand and Alyssa on the other, out the window and onto the foot traffic of the ever busy market, taking Alyssa through every crevice and corner of the underground only he knew, he didn't know why he kept going for her, even though every bit of his being screamed to leave the dead weight behind, he went against his primary survival instinct to get her through, actively avoiding falls and jumps that would be impossible for her.

Making a sharp turn, Levi's was pushed back, a punch on his face throwing him a few steps back,

"Levi!" Alyssa exclaimed, doing what she can to soften Levi's landing, and that was to put herself under him and receive the brunt of the fall.

"You stinking bastard" Levi wiped the blood of his mouth and lunged at his attacker, wielding the knife in his hands, he was quick to finish the man off but then another one appeared and another and another, and in the haze of his fury, only one noise, one sound broke through.

"No Levi! Get away from me" a man was already dragging Alyssa, taking advantage of his distraction, probably to take Alyssa where they take all abducted rich kids of the surface. He knew what those men did to the children, they would torture them to torture their parents, dragging on for long until ransom has been paid, but still proceed to kill the child, making additional profit by selling their valuable parts for medical and deviant purposes.

Kicking, screaming punching and biting, Alyssa did everything she could to break free from her captor and help Levi, who was getting huddled by men, who had no shame in ganging up on a sole child. Fed up with her resistance, the man pulled back his arm and striked Alyssa with a force a grown up burly man that he is. Alyssa's face became numb in an instant a striking throb beginning to settle on her face, her ears were ringing, her vision spinning, just what the man needed to drag Alyssa away with him, this time successfully.

Something inside Levi snapped, like an electricity splitting the sky, he pressed forward, disregarding his own well being, taking punches left and right just so he can gain on the man running away with Alyssa. He was a man on a mission and nothing and no one can stop him.

However the ruckus they created had called attention, one of which is the attention of the barely used Military Police, who were taking their time in rushing towards the commotion, giving enough time for others to scatter, leaving only Levi, Alyssa and her captor. Injured, and beaten, Levi looked a lot worse for wear, one of his eyes were already swollen shut, he was bleeding and bruising everywhere, half of his body already limp, yet still he pushed through walking menacingly towards the man, between worrying about his eventual capture, the money he will make out of the girl and fighting this kid, he didn't have the luxury of anticipating Levi's next move, tackling him with a knife in his hand, injuring slicing his knife across the man's face, effectively pushing him and their fight away from Alyssa's barely conscious form.

"Why you fucking bastard" the man fought back, taking advantage of Levi's already weak state, using his size to his advantage punching Levi as if he wasn't a child less than half of his own age, straddling his small already beaten and bloodied body, taking punches at his face. Unbeknownst to him, Alyssa was already gaining control of her senses, and the first thing she sees, a man hunched over Levi's body, beating him to death and the approaching cluster of stumps approaching them.

"No, no… Levi" suddenly everything just made sense, her mind was clear, and her senses sharp, she recalled back to those times her brother held her at gunpoint, except she wasn't scared, it was like she was reliving these moments a lot differently, she was hyper focused, every bit of her being alive. Finger on the trigger, she gripped her gun with purpose and fired.

_And didn't stop until the barrel was empty. _

By the time the Military Police had arrived, the man slumped over on top of Levi, bleeding in all six places, with a little girl pointing the gun fresh and still smoking; just as the man lay dead, so did the vision of her brother her mind, the memory, the image; the very representation of the shackles and binds that kept her docile, that _made _her the little Novak doll.

The man wasn't the only victim of their thrysts, further into the alley, dead men line up the floor, and they knew the little girl could not have done it alone, however, just when they were about to look into things, just when they were about to inspect the man who died by having a revolver emptied on his body, just when they were about to discover the person, the boy responsible for several dead man…

"My name is Alyssa Novak, daughter of Anton of the Novak household and I want to go home" Alyssa announced relinquishing hold of the gun. Way faster than they arrived, they had left, cradling Alyssa in their arms as they walked away, clearly the life of one councilman's daughter outweighed the lives of the men who lay dead there, in an instant they were maneuvering away from the scene.

Looking over the female officer's shoulder, Alyssa watched as Levi crawled his way out from under the man Alyssa killed, even in the growing distance, their eyes locked and Alyssa gave him a small smile.

"Thank you" she whispered softly and leaned in on the woman's shoulder eyes falling asleep.


End file.
